Logic of Akhand Paath - by Amarpal Singh Ji

Sri Guru Granth Sahib is for reading, understanding what is said in the Granth and to live a life according to what is enshrined in it. This I understand was the intent of our Guru Sahibs had in mind when they compiled Sri Guru Granth Sahib for us.

Hiring Granthis to read it, not even listening to what is being read by these Granthis has no meaning to me because this in no way meets the intent of our Guru Sahibs putting in efforts to compile Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Such act makes Akand Paath a ritual. It resembles Brahmanical way of ritualistic religious practice. If I do so and some one accuses me of falling back to Brahamanical practices, I cannot offer any intellectually honest defense of such practice.

We too had Akand Paath in our family. Our family members were always present listing to the Paath, all the night I used to sit and listen. It was a good learnig for me. This way of doing Akand Paath I can defend as Khalsa way of doing Paath. It is not a ritual, it is learning.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/essays-on-sikhism/2061-logic-akhand-paath-amarpal-singh-ji.html

However, Akand Paath is not any way more significant compared to reading Sri Guru Granth Sahib for one's own learning and blissful ascendency - Chaardian Kalaan.

The practice of Akand Paath started during the difficult period for Kahlsa Panth. The rulers of that time never let us stablise at any place. Every thing had to be done in a hurry pressed by time.

It has now become a practice to organise Akand Paath when ever some one wants to start any new venture to seek the blessing of 'The Sat'. It is good, as long as some one is always listening to it with the intent to learn from it and evolve.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061

With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.

very well expressed by veer amarpal singh ji.

Akhand Paaths may have begun with "urgency" and "shortage of time" due to special circumstances of the Khalsa Ji in those trying days of guerilla warfare and always on the move to escape capture by the enemy..

BUT what is the "urgency" now ?? We still race ahead at top speed..seeking to beat the clock within 48 hours...the paathis changing "lanes" without skipping a beat....more emphasis on not "missing" a word/line rather than on reading gurbani properly...no listeners...more emphasis on "prauhnna chaari" looking after guests than paath.....leaving the paathi absolutley alone especially at night..etc etc are many of the ritualistic behaviours that have crept in.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061

In Rakabganj/sis ganj gurdwaras Delhi as well as at Amrtisar, READY MADE akhand paaths are sold..( Instant ap), there was a case of a Canadian Sikh who died in the USA, whose Akhand Paath was purchased in Delhi...and the BHOG was performed in UK....all within the time limit of 48 hours....wow that is what i call Global Village mentality !!! The rakab ganj paths are done by profesional readers who sit alone and are just marking time ( shifts)..

We MUST make a concerted effort to STOP this RITUALISTIC BEHAVIOUR. It is ANTI GURMATT as well as a total waste of money.

Jarnail Singh

Fateh Bhai Sahib Balbir Singh Ji,

Thanks for sharing a gr8 website link with us.

** Off-Topic **
Sir, i would hubmly request you tell the SPN sangat more about yourself under the "Introducing Myself" section.

Best Regards

Yes indeed !!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061

Regards

Of late we are all observing the various norms of Sikh practices in a routine manner.We don't go deep in the cause behind any ritual and we are not even being guided by the so called Granthies/Pracharaks/Kirtanies or the those connected with management of Gurdwaras. The so called sewadars are not even one percent sewadars but are professioinals worse than the Pandaas of Haridwar who were taught by Guru Nanak not to observe any ritual without understanding its purpose.These Granthies would always advise any innocent Gursikh to go ahead with Akhand Path whensoever he is happy or sad( i.e. birth of a son, marriage of son daughter or death of any family member).The people around also prevail upon to have Akhand Path.What I feel all this is done simply becausw the Granthies, the management of Gurdwaras are to gain with the tariff realised. People may not be aware that in all the Gurdwaras fixed tariff has been prescribed for various services. Our Gurus did not mean all this professional, greedy, manipulators in our Gurudwaras.This has become totally against the philosphy of Guru Granth Sahib.The amassing of wealth in Gurdwaras is the root cause of degradation,groupism and jealousy. The only solution is that all must decide not to have Akhand Paths to be done by paid and professioinal Pathies but we must recite the Gurbani ourselves and may take months to complete. I apologise in case I have offended the feelings of some one and would like to be corrected.

Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.

Bhoolchook ji, you have not said anything wrong..but everything correct and as per gurbani.

Just for amoment lets think....Bhai Lehna Ji "HEARD" the Bani japji Sahib being "READ aloud".....and was so enamoured of the divine words of the Bani that He went on to look for its writer....Guru nanak ji...and then progressed to become GURU ANGAD JI..

Similalry Bhai Amardass Ji also heard Gurbani being recited....and went looking for its writer....and found that although GURU NANAK Ji was not around any more....GURU ANGAD JI sitting on His Throne was the Same JYOT....Bhai Amardass Ji went on to become GURU AMARDASS JI.

TODAY we not only have LOUDSPEAKERS blaring out endless Akhand Paaths, Aasa Ki Vaars, Sukhmani Sahib paaths, stereo speakers in Cars, Homes, Offices, on our personal bodies as walkmans, etc etc...and we have Hundreds of TEEKAS, shabadarths, english translations, instant meanings via the internet by just a single click of our mouse, we have Hukmnamas from Darbar sahib Amrtisar LIVE on our Computer screens....YET are we as AFFECTED by GURBANI as was BHAI LEHNA JI ( who just heard Japji sahib ??)..and Bhai Amardass Ji who also heard just Japji sahib....??? how many maong the 20 million Sikhs worldwide are on the way to TRANSFORMING froma Bhai lehan Ji to a GURU ANGAD JI ?? IF not...WHY NOT ?? It is the SAME GURBANI ?? Why cant we be TRANSFORMED ??

The answer is we have reduced everythign to a MEANINGLESS RITUAL .... FOKA WAAD VIVAAD..."Empty Talk"....PAID Granthis kirtaniyas raagis kathakaars.....JUST paying LIP SERVICE for the PAYMENTS received...no feeling, no passion, no bairaag..no committment....NOTHING except the PAYMENT and how quickly they can go on to the NEXT PAID ASSIGNMENT like taxi Drivers picking up the next fare...and we the "sangat" Pay these professional CRIERS, money to cry out the GURBANI...like Automatic CD Players.....without a thought as to what they are reading...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061

Once a long long time ago, a fellow Paathi ( who was also a young man just like me..about 18 years old)..BET with me that in a GURDWARA FULL to the Brim with sangat, with MICROPHONE in front of him, He would SAY ordinary Words like TARZAN ZINDABAD....keee kardo ho jee...kidhaar dhian hai tumaara ji..etc etc ALONG with the GURBANI in an AKHAND PAATH....and NO BODY would NOTICE ANYTHING. He completed his TASK ( no doubt the akhand paath was KHANDAT !! but who cares anyway as no one was listening to a word...) and WON his BET. I had to PAY a HUNDRED DOLLARS to learn this elsson which I have been learning ever since at every single akhand paath i have attended.... Today I would be willing to BET a THOUSAND DOLLARS anyone could get away with this in any akhaknd paath...to everybody ( even those sangat sitting there pretending as if they are listening.... actually DONT REGISTER nay GURBANI as it is all read so fast that even experienced GURBANI readers like myself have trouble making out what Paath the Paathi is reading...so what about those who are unfamiliar with the GURU GRANTH JI to the extent they are not even sure how many aangs Guru Ji has..much less its GURBANI ??
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061

We have becoem MASTERS at the art of PRETENDING....some one will have to wake us up to tell us the KING is NAKED ...

Jarnail Singh

I totally agree with S.Jarnail Singh Ji.The question now is how to rectify the situation? Sikh sangat in this age cannot be compared to the times of Guru Angad Dev Ji or Gueu Amar Dass Ji when there was sincerity of purpose, dedication to the extremest degree,simplicity from the core of ones heart. Their reactions to the recital of Gurbani were spontaneous and instant whereas we are all in the stage of KINTOOS PRANTOOS. In my humble opinion we must apprise the sangat about the motivated practices of the paid Granthies and also make then aware of their own reformation if any in thedir personal lives whether there is any tinge of improvement in their daily routines when every Granthies might have recited the whole Granth Sahin not less than 100 times and whether they are all following Sikh Rahit Maryada truely. We must appeal to all sangat that reciting of Gurbani ourselves is the only way out.Our Guru never thought of paid Pathies. Granthies. Why can;t we read ourselves , let it be 5 to 10 pages daily and let we complete the Sahij path even after a year. The understanding and concentration which we must have to adopt the directions detailed therein in our way life can only come if we exeret ourselves. We can have exceptions for illiterate and those who cannot read on accout of some physical incapacities. But this much is definite that we must get rid of these paid professionals. Their presence loads us more with HOUMAY, KRODH ,LOBH, MOH and AHANKAR.

Gyani ji, this is a strong msg, you are hammering onto us.

A solution to this I feel is to initiate Akhand paath ourselves. The interested family spare two days (or may be three days) out of their lives in a year for Guru Sahib to do seva by themselves, including reading. A simple reading may not serve the purpose initially, but we know a soft rope on a well has potential to erode the stone.

I agree with the bet thing you mentioned, and that kind of ritual may be reduced by taking responsibility on ourselves. There is no priestly class.. right?

Regards.

Both the solutions given by Amarpal Singh Ji and Arvind Singh Ji.....point to the One Direction....SELF Appraisal. We must as individuals decide to Learn Gurbani, have the moral courage to get up and catch hold of Guru Ji's Finger and let Him Lead us...Aang by AAng...from EK Oankaar to Slok Mahalla Panjavaan Tera Kita Jatoh nahin. I tell you verily that the sheer pleasure of doing your own Gurbani paath is...beyond words.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=2061

Gurbani is a treasure of our Fore fathers...Pio daddeh ka khol dittha khazanah... not to be wasted on paid granthis and kirtaniyas who sing bollywood filmy tunes and entertain us..are we really that mean ?? I mean really really mean enought o disregard this huge treasure..and just treat it as "el-cheapo" ..the way we buy and sell akhand paaths and sehaj paaths ready made ones, pre booked ones, chutkee paath, thhabba paath, "Aad pooran -madh pooran- aaant pooran paaths"..etc the ongoing labour rate for an akhand paath is just 1500 Rupees..US 25 or so...imagine US 25 dllars for 1430 aangs....how much per aang is that ?? for that we can order Guru Ji to our house, get six granthis who will order us around like they are from heaven..dhudh liao ji, wich badaam payo ji, barfi chheeyeh ji, shuch ghee hai ji..dahin chahedaa ji..etc etc..and on top of it we DONT get any BENEFIT except boost our EGO that we have done AP....menu was great, seva was fantastic..the barfi was from Bombay, the Saag was from Taaj etc etc..

I am glad to see there is a Gurbani Vichaar mailing list on SPN....and Veer Ji Amarpal Singh ji is doing a truly fantastic job on Anand sahib Jee... I for one "dont comment" because everything is so perfect...but why the others dont comment as well is beyond me..maybe they are "afraid" of commenting on Gurbani ??? Well folks there is nothing to be "afraid" of GURU JI.... this is OUR GURU JI...so if you have any dounts, shankas, get them out..GURU JI answers all queries.

Bhul Chuk maaf

jarnail Singh.

SSA Amar Pal,

At the inception of the panth there were a very small percentage of people who could read shahmukhi let alone gurmukhi. Akhand Paths were a mean to utilize the litrate ones for maximum preaching. In the villages when Akhand paths were orgnazied, lot of people used to be in attandance. These days its taken a form of tradition.